Thiago extends Barca deal

Barcelona have extended the contract of young starlet Thiago Alcantara for two years until June 2015.

Last Updated: 29/06/11 2:26pm

Thiago: Young midfielder has signed extension to his Barcelona contract

Barcelona have extended the contract of young starlet Thiago Alcantara for two years until June 2015.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been tipped for great things and has already caught the eye of Europe's top clubs following some impressive performances for Spain during the European Under-21 Championship.

Premier League sides including both Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with Thiago but any hopes of bringing him to England have now been dealt a major blow.

The Italy-born player came through the ranks at Flamengo in Brazil before Barca snapped him up in 2005.

Having signed the new deal with the European and Spanish champions, Thiago now has a minimum-fee release clause of £81million.

He has previously hinted that he could be tempted to leave Camp Nou but can now turn his attention back to domestic action and a potentially pivotal 2011/12 campaign in Catalunya.